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If you feel a sense of doom when asked to define deem, we’re here with some details for your dome (sense 7). While today deem is used generally as a synonym of consider (as in “a movie deemed appropriate for all ages”), its origins are more formal, coming specifically from the realm of law. The oldest meaning of deem, which comes from the Old English verb dēman (relative of dōm, meaning “doom”) is “to sit in judgment upon,” as employed by Edmund Spenser in The Faerie Queen: “... at th’one side six Judges were dispos’d, / To view and deem the deeds of arms that day.” This sense was obsolete by the early 17th century, and other senses including “to expect or hope” have come and gone, but deem’s use overall has never dimmed. In fact, today’s most common meaning of “to come to think or judge something; to consider” has also been in use since Old English and is still deemed quite common.
Examples of deem in a Sentence
Nicholas Kerr,
ABC News,
4 July 2026
Nevertheless, it is not entirely ruled out that Meghan and the children might join him midweek in Birmingham—where the Invictus Games will be held in 2027—provided the Sussexes’ private security team deems the travel arrangements feasible.
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Diego Parrado,
Vanity Fair,
4 July 2026
Apparently, cars from countries like China, Russia, and others were deemed to pose a risk to US security.
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New Atlas,
4 July 2026
This decision is deemed reckless, especially with games in Philadelphia and New Jersey facing near 100-degree temperatures.
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Ian Nicholas Quillen,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for deem
Cite this Entry
“Deem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deem. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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